Process of distilling bitumen



JUIYZG, 193.2-` G. EGLOFF 1,868,734

- PROCESS OF DISTILLING BITUMEN- 'original Filed ned. i8,'-.192s

Patented July 26, 1932 `marmo STATES PATENT GUSTAV EGLOFF, F CHICAGO,ILLINOIS,l LASSIGNOR [|30 UNIVERSAL .OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OFCHICAGO,ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F SOUTH DAKOTA PROCESS OF DISTILLING BITUMENApplication iled' December 18, 1925, Serial No. 76,171. Renewed May 15,1331.

This invention relates to improvements in process of distilling bitumenand products derived thereby, adapted to the distillation of bituminousmaterials, such as coal, asphaltic materials, tars, or the like, in thepresence of airsteam, and heated petroleum. lAs far as I am aware, Iproduce certain new yproducts from the use of the process hereinafterset forth.

First I produce a large quantity of incondensable gas suliciently highin heat units as to be adapted for industrial purposes in i burning, andthus avoiding any or much enrichment of the gas.

Second, I produce a motor. fuel having antiknock properties, in that itcontains a cony -siderable percentage of nitrogen and phenoliccompounds, and saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons.-

Third, I produce alcohols, aldehydes and organic acids.

Fourth, I produce a bed of bituminous material, such as coke which hasbeen largely freed of its evapora'ble hydrocarbonaceous constituents.

The invention will be more readily understood from the accompanyingdrawing, in which-the single figure shows a somewhat diagrammatic view,partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section.`

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates av furnace4 in which is mounted asuitable^heat ing coil '2. Oil is fed to the coil through feed line 3connected to raw oil pump 4 leading to any suitable source of supply(not'shown), as, for example, gas oil or fuel oil.

The oil from the coil `passes through transfer line 5, controlled bythrottle valve 6 to a combustion chamber 7, which chamber is preferablyinternally insulated as shown at 8. Any liquid residue may be drawn'oil' of the chamber 7 through drawol pipe,9 controlled by throttlevalve 10.

Vapors pass out` of the upper endof the chamber 7 through vapor line 11,controlled by throttle valve 12, and thence to the lower part of adephlegmator 13. Thereilux condensate is drawn out through the'lowerpart of the dephlegmator through pipe 14 con`v trolled by throttle valve15, which -pipe 1.4 is

Aand is more particularlyand burn some of the preferably provided with areliux pump 16,l l

whereby the reflux condensate is returned to' the heating coil 2 via thefeed line 3. If desired, the 'reiiux condensate may be drawn out of thesystem throu h branch. pipe '17 by suitably manipulating t e valves18,15 and 19, as will be clearly seen from the drawing.

v Steam saturated or superheated is intro dephlegmator pass out of theupper end thereof through pipe controlledby' throttle valve 26, whichpipe 25 leads to condenser coil 27, which in turn connects to receiver28. This receiver 28 is provided with liquid draw-olf pipe 29 controlledby throttle valve 30 and gas outlet pipe 31 controlled by valve 32. Thegas holder 33 is also provided and connected to the gas outlet pipe 31.

The process may be carried out as follows: Bituminous material, such as,for example,

coal is charged into the insulated chamber v 7, fuel oil is fed throughthe line 3 to the heating coil 2, where theoil is heated to a transfertemperature of, say, 800 deg. F.

-The oil passeslinto the bed of coal and tends to dissolve out some ofthe hydrocarbona'ce-` ous material, and also to distill of someof thesame. l

' At the same time regulated quantities of air are introduced into thebed of coal, which air acts chemically to promote combustion coal andsome of the petroleum. v ,At the same time steam is introduced into `thechamber 7, and the action ofthe highly heated contents of the chamber 7breaks `down the steam into hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Thetemperature of the contents of the chamber 7 may run ashigh' as say 1800deg. F., or more.

The petroleum oil vapors, the vapors from ma the hydrocarbonaceousconstituents of the fixed gases coal, together with the gases :tormedfrom breaking'down the steam, as Well as other formed by the operation,all pass into the dephlegmator. Here the heavy constituents which are`not sufficiently cracked are condensed, the amount of. condensationdepending upon the temperature at which it is dephlegmated. The refluxcondensate is drawn out ofthe lower part of the dephlegmator and maybere-run through the coil 2, or carried od to storage or elsewhere. rl`heuncondensed vapors pass through the condenser into the receiver, Whilethe incondensable gas goes to the gas holder shown in the drawing.

By means of the present process l produce the various products stated inthe earlier part of the speciication, and it is not necessary to againrepeat them.

rlFhe Whole system is preferably maintained under a substantialsuperatmospheric pressure, say, for example, 100 pounds to the squareinch.y l claim as my invention:

l. A process for simultaneously heating a hydrocarbon liquid and aquantity of bituminous material, which comprises the maintaining of amass of bituminous material in a closed chamber, the heating of thehydrocarbon liquid to a cracking temperature in a separate zone,subsequently bringing the heated hydrocarbon liquid into physical con-`tact with the bituminous material by introducing it into the lowerportion of said closed chamber, removing vaporous constituents generatedfrom the oil and bituminous materials from said closedchamber and,during the operation of the process, subjecting the bituminous materialand heated hydrocarbon liquid and in said closed chamber to the actionof steam and controlledcombustion by introducing thereto controlledquantities of steam and air, regulating the combustion in said closedchamber so that the temperature of the material therein is maintained inexcess ot 1000o F. and maintaining the material in said closed chamberunder a superatmospheric pressure.

2. A process for simultaneously treating a hydrocarbon liquid and aquantity of bituminous material, Which comprises the mainrecarsicarbon'liquid in said closed chamber to the action of steam andcontrolled combustion, by introducing thereto controlled quantities ofsteam and air, regulating the combustion in said closed chamber so thatthe temperature of the material therein is maintained in excess of 1000oF., and maintaining the material in said closed chamber under asuperatmospheric pressure.

GUSTAV EGLOFF.

taining of a mass of bituminous material in a i closed chamber, theheating of the hydrocar.

bon liquid to a cracking temperature in a separate zone, subsequentlybringing the heated hydrocarbon liquid into physical contact with thebituminous material by introducing the heated hydrocarbon liquid intothe lower portion of said closed chamber before any substantialevolution of vapors from the liquid, removing vaporous constituentsgenerated from the liquid and bituminous material fromfsaid closedchamber' and, during the operation of the process, subjecting thebituminous material and heated hydro-

